NRA Museums Guns of the Week

Gallery

John Wayne’s Winchester

Recently used for filming of the upcoming third season of NRA Gun Gurus, this .44-40 Model 1892 likely fired far more 5-in-1 blanks when it was used in True Grit by legendary actor John Wayne. During filming for NRA Gun Gurus, senior curator Phil Schreier showed that a classic Winchester, marked with Wayne’s Batjac studio marking, can still fire with the best. Watch for the new season of NRA Gun Gurus on Outdoor Channel in January 2016.

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Hall Breechloading Rifle

The Hall rifle was the first breechloading rifle employed by our military and was offered either in flintlock or percussion form. The loose tolerances for the gap between block and barrel often resulted in a fiery blast of gases during firing - sometimes singeing eyebrows and hands. But as a faster loading shoulder arm, the .52 caliber Hall enjoyed a military production run from 1817 well into the 1840s. Early Hall rifles were counterbored at the muzzle to allow for slower muzzleloading if required.

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Jacob Double Rifle

In 1858, Indian Army General John Jacob raised a battalion of 1,000 men to be armed with a double rifle of his design that fired a conical projectile with flanged studs and included a 2000-yard rear sight. Explosive nose plugs could be fitted into the bullet for long range detonation of ammunition carts. In the event of close-quarters combat, these .52 caliber rifles were also fitted with a broadsword pattern bayonet. Despite all this innovation, General Jacob died of exhaustion in late 1858 and his plan never came to fruition.

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Cochran Rifle and Pistol

Not often do we get the opportunity to showcase an unusual arms inventor’s design in both rifle and pistol form. This underhammer revolving turret design was patented by John W. Cochran of New York in 1837 and actually resulted in a number of gunsmiths designing both seven and nine-shot versions. C.B. Allen of Springfield, MA, designed the two you see above.

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Civil War Rifle-Muskets

For the gun collector who likes their pinups tall, slender, muzzleloaded, and more than 200 years old, this Colt M1861 Special musket, Whitney US Contract M1861 Rifle-Musket, and M1855 Rifle-Musket from Springfield Armory are the guns of August in the NRA Museums's 2015 CIVIL WAR calendar.

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A Colt and a Winchester

Here's a neat juxtaposition between two pieces in the NRA Museums collection: A Colt “Artillery” revolver and a Winchester Model 1895 carbine that we know were both present at the same place and point in time. That date and location? July 1, 1898 as the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry (Rough Riders) was storming up San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill. And 117 years later they're back together at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, VA.

NRA Museums has one of the most impressive collections of firearms in the entire world. Between the NRA National Firearms Museum, NRA National Sporting Arms Museum at Bass Pro Shops, and the Frank Brownell Museum of the Southwest, thousands of the most beautiful and historic guns are on display for firearms enthusiasts to admire.

Every day NRA Museums shares amazing pieces on their NRA Museums Facebook page, but in case you've missed them or just want to look again, here's a recap of this past week's guns.